Going green” has become a topic of rising importance, especially among people who work in dental offices that may not have focused on the environment previously.

There are tons of ways to make your office more environmentally friendly, most of which are simple and don’t cost much – if anything!

Opt for “greener” options for the products you need

This can be as simple as purchasing post-consumer recycled printer paper and sticky notes, which are more environmentally friendly. If your reusable coffee cup employees are note-takers, purchase notebooks that use recycled paper – or even those that aren’t bleached. Bleaching paper is not a necessity and is very harmful to the environment. There are also pens, pencils, and other office supplies that are made out of recycled material, and work just the same, if not better!

Buy remanufactured ink and toner cartridges

Recycling ink and toner cartridges saves you money and helps the environment. Re-using your cartridges saves manufactures on plastic, metal, and oil costs.

Use digital storage

Filing cabinets are not only big and clunky – they are full of paper that’s harmful to the environment, and not necessary! How often do you really need to look in those files from 2005? Scan them, put them on a zip drive or CD-ROM, and save yourself some space!

Use compact fluorescent bulbs

Switching from standard incandescent bulbs saves you time, energy, and money. Plus, they give your office a beautiful, natural light! Compact fluorescent bulbs last up to 10 times longer than incandescent bulbs, and offer energy savings.

Unplug

If you constantly forget to turn off every monitor and machine, having connecting them to a power strip means you have just one flip to switch every morning and night – and this will save your energy costs, as well as help Mother Earth!

Reduce, reuse, recycle

You’ve heard the saying before – but take it seriously! Many materials can be recycled, and places such as Best Buy and Office Depot make it easy to drop your things off when you’re done with them so they don’t end up in landfills. Recycle everything from your office paper to old cell phones, pens, and ink cartridges!

Use daylight rather than office lights

This can be a difficult one to implement, but whenever feasible, consider using your natural source of light before turning on lamps and overhead lights. Having lots of windows and skylights help your office stay well lit without using energy. Painting your office in light colors also reduces the need for artificial lighting all day.

Update your mailing list

If you are still sending out notifications through the U.S. mail, consider going paperless with email, phone calls, or even texts to remind your patients of appointments or other important matters. Go through your mailing list and see if you the patients would be comfortable going paperless. Also, if you have a newsletter you mail out to your patients, please consider doing an e-newsletter. Engage Dental provides top-notch, eye-catching e-newsletters that help grow your practice and save paper.

Buy plants

This is where “going green” gets literal – make your office more green by putting plants in feasible areas. Plants are good decorations, and they absorb toxins in the air that can be harmful to the environment.

Change your printer settings

Many copier and printer settings are set to double copies automatically, which creates waste quickly. Make sure yours is set to single copies, and when possible, print your documents double-sided.

Give away reusable mugs to employees

People love coffee – and we tend to drink it more than once a day. Instead of having paper cups next to your coffee maker, give your employees personalized, reusable coffee mugs. It not only helps the environment, but it’s also a thoughtful gift for your employees.

Going green in your dental office can be very simple and these are just a few ideas to make your office be a little more environmentally friendly. There are endless suggestions, so get creative!

THE ENGAGE DENTAL FORMULA

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